With that thought, Zhong Yun’s unremarkable face flashed before her eyes, and he looked at her, his eyes burning with a fierce flame, as if he intended to melt her down completely.

He smirked, and his hands reached out. Her breath hitched. "No, don't... don't touch there..."

Foggily, Xiao Fen’s voice drifted in again.

“We all went crazy just now; I think Xiao Ruo was caught up in the atmosphere and acted impulsively. She surely regrets it now. Didn't you just bark like a puppy too? You’d never do that ordinarily.”

Right, it was just a game. Xiao Ruo let out a breath of relief. I haven't fallen for him; it was just a game...

Xiao Ruo tossed and turned all night, only drifting into a fitful sleep near dawn.

A little after six, her roommate shook her awake. According to regulations, every class had to assemble for roll call at seven sharp before dispersing for individual activities.

Having slept poorly, Xiao Ruo felt heavy and groggy. Her friend Xiao Fen led her to a large private room where the clamor inside made her slightly dizzy.

After finding a seat, Xiao Ruo instinctively scanned the crowd and saw that familiar figure seated diagonally across from her. Her heart skipped a beat, and her clouded mind seemed to clear instantly.

Bowing her head, Xiao Ruo tugged on Xiao Fen’s sleeve and quietly asked, "Lend me your mirror for a second."

Glancing into the mirror, she saw a pale face, dark circles under her eyes—she looked dreadful.

A wave of agitation washed over Xiao Ruo. I wonder if he saw me looking like this. She stealthily glanced back in that direction. The man was sitting there, calmly sipping tea, as if nothing had happened the night before.

Xiao Ruo felt utterly confused. I’m sitting right across from him. Why isn’t he looking over? Does he not care at all about what happened last night?

The thought sent her mind into a frenzy. She couldn't hear a word the instructor was saying at the front.

Soon, a cheer erupted. Xiao Fen gave her an insistent tug, jolting her back to reality. She instinctively looked toward his spot again. Beside him now stood a figure of perfect elegance. The two stood closely, conversing, looking exactly like a couple.

“Xiao Ruo, Xiao Ruo… what’s wrong?” Xiao Fen’s anxious voice cut through.

Xiao Ruo shook her head and murmured, "I'm fine, just a bit tired." As she spoke, the two figures disappeared from view. Her face grew even paler.

Xiao Fen supported her, voicing her concern. “You look terrible; maybe you should skip today and rest well at the hotel.”

“No way,” Xiao Ruo shook her head. “I made plans with Feng. I can’t break a date.”

“Looking like that, Li Dafeng will be scared off when he sees you,” Xiao Fen urged. “If not today, there’s always tomorrow.”

She was half-forced back to the dormitory.

―――――――――――――――――――――― Fenghua City was the third largest city in Da’er, as well as its most famous tourist destination—boasting beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate, it was an ideal getaway.

Fenghua City’s most famous sites were its Ten Great Attractions, with the Flower Sea ranking first.

Zhong Yun and Liu Yunqi sat on the same bus, neither speaking. The bus was nearly packed, apparently with fellow tourists.

Regardless of gender, every passenger kept glancing toward Liu Yunqi. A beauty of her caliber was an extreme rarity; she was the natural focal point wherever she went.

As for Zhong Yun, seated beside her, he had long been categorized as a fly—or perhaps, a remarkably audacious fly.

“Hello.”

Before long, a handsome man approached to strike up a conversation. He was half a head taller than Zhong Yun, with blonde hair and dressed in casual wear that made him look dashing.

“Are you talking to me?” Zhong Yun pointed at himself, looking genuinely confused, wondering if he had misheard.

“I’d like to speak with this lady, if you wouldn’t mind stepping aside,” the blond man said with an easy smile, stating it as an obvious necessity.

Since Zhong Yun was seated near the aisle side, it was inconvenient for the blond man to speak with Liu Yunqi while standing in the aisle.

This guy was truly overconfident. Normally, Zhong Yun would have given him a thumbs-up, but being the person directly involved made him instantly annoyed.

Zhong Yun stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly pointed to a brown-haired girl seated diagonally across the aisle. “Isn’t that your girlfriend?”

The blond man’s smile didn't falter. “That’s right.”

Zhong Yun shook his head, said nothing, and returned his attention to the portable computer in his hands, leaving the blond man hanging there.

Ten seconds later, a flash of anger crossed the blond man’s face. He noticed the people on the bus starting to whisper, and the content was certainly not complimentary. He swallowed his irritation. “Please move.”

Zhong Yun turned, complaining pointedly, “Don’t you know it’s incredibly impolite to interrupt people arbitrarily?”

“Exactly.”

“Seriously, look at that guy acting all proper, yet he doesn't even know basic manners.”

Someone chimed in to support him. Compared to the ordinary-looking Zhong Yun, the handsome blond man was far more conspicuous, so some busybodies decided to champion justice.

Zhong Yun smiled because the blond man’s expression soured.

The blond man was utterly infuriated, not just by the spectators’ mockery, but even more stung that the beautiful lady had merely given him a distant glance, treating him like an insignificant passerby—something his immense self-confidence could not accept.

“Ignoring someone’s request doesn't strike me as particularly polite either,” the blond man retorted sharply.

Zhong Yun reacted as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world, looking at the blond man like he was an alien.

“Pfft.”

Someone nearby burst out laughing—it was one of the young people who had spoken up earlier. “I can’t take this! This Blondie is hilarious, trying to pick up someone’s girlfriend and acting so righteous about it.”

“He’s a classic example.”

A ripple of soft laughter spread through the bus. While the blond man’s initial approach had been charming, his current stubborn arguing made him seem unreasonable. In contrast, Zhong Yun’s composed demeanor earned admiration—handling an opponent of unequal standing with such calm and delivering a counterattack that threw the opponent off balance.

Truly, he was not a simple fly.

“Hello,” Zhong Yun’s expression turned serious. “Please ask your girlfriend to come over; I have a few words for her.”

“You—” The blond man’s face instantly turned ashen, his hands clenching into tight fists.

The bus erupted in laughter; that jab was truly classic. Someone even whistled.

Just then, the bus reached its stop. Zhong Yun and Liu Yunqi stood up. “Excuse us, please,” Zhong Yun said to the blond man blocking the aisle.

The blond man stared at Zhong Yun with a dark, resentful look. He had never been so humiliated since childhood, especially not in front of the woman he desired.

Zhong Yun did not yield an inch, his eyes holding a hint of challenge: Kid, you want my girl? You’re still too green.

In the end, the blond man stepped aside. Though he had the urge to deck the fly, he didn't consider Zhong Yun, who was half a head shorter, a physical threat, but fighting here was unwise.

Zhong Yun held his head high, like a victorious lion, leading Liu Yunqi off the bus.

The blond man watched their retreating figures from the bus until they vanished from sight.

“Liang,” the blond man’s girlfriend, the brown-haired woman, walked over, a teasing smile on her face. “I never thought I’d see the day you failed to hit on someone.” Yet, unconcealable jealousy flickered in her eyes.

The blond man’s expression remained grim, his mood sinking to the absolute bottom. He secretly vowed, Kid, don’t let me ever run into you again.